Small and medium businesses (SMBs) can afford enterprise-class data protection through cloud-based security services and solutions – ranging from boutique software developers and accounting firms to independent retailers.
This is the word from Virodh Sunderlall, product marketing manager at Tarsus On Demand, who adds: “This, in turn, enables them to exploit the full potential of digital technology in their businesses.”
Sunderlall says that cost and access to skills used to be a significant barrier for small businesses in securing their data and systems from hackers, malware, insider
threats and the many other dangers that lurk in cyberspace. However, cloud economics has altered this scenario by providing cost-effective solutions that scale as a firm expands.
SMBs in the crosshairs
A 2021 report found that 43% of cyber-attacks target small businesses, highlighting that cyber-crime isn’t just a threat for large enterprises. In fact, with bigger businesses tightening their security protocols and investing in expensive technology, many cyber-criminals may see small businesses as easier pickings.
“Just like bigger companies, SMBs manage a lot of sensitive personal information. They thus need to invest in security to comply with data privacy laws such as the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA),” says Sunderlall. “It’s not just about compliance, but also about ethics and building trust with customers and employees.”
Sunderlall says that to keep pace with the new threat and compliance landscape, SMBs need integrated security platforms, along with a zero-trust philosophy and robust resilience plans. Partners like Tarsus On Demand offer SMBs access to integrated security, compliance, and identity solutions built to work across platforms and cloud environments.
Security is a business enabler
Says Sunderlall: “There are few SMBs today that don’t depend on technology to run their businesses—from managing financial records, generating the payroll and sending out invoices to supporting remote workers and trading online. The massive shift to working from home, along with accelerated adoption of ecommerce, during the pandemic means that we depend on technology more than ever.
“Yet, along with the enormous productivity benefits of the Internet, it also surfaces a range of complex risks and threats. Every day, cyber-criminals make millions of attempts to steal data or access systems using sophisticated techniques such as ransomware, trojans, social engineering and crypto-mining. Traditional endpoint security isn’t enough to keep your company safe.”
Don’t trust anything
By working with a cloud partner, SMBs can start to move towards a Zero Trust security model, which is designed to protect people, devices, apps, and data wherever they’re located. This aligns with the needs of a world where employees can work and customers can transact from anywhere—not just inside the company network.
“We recognise that information security is a complex field, which is why we have designed a portfolio that makes it simple for resellers and their SMB customers,” Sunderlall says. “By shifting towards the cloud, SMBs can remove all single points of failure from their IT systems and create an environment that is secure—keeping data safe—and resilient—able to quickly recover from a breach or incident.”
Tarsus On Demand enables resellers to offer their clients unified management tools that meet their business needs—from Identity and access management and endpoint security to Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR). “We help businesses to consolidate their security stack and we take care of the technical complexity,” says Sunderlall.
Culture is key, too
This frees the business to focus more energy on the human and cultural elements of security, since human errors are the cause of most security incidents. Security policies address this by codifying the rules people need to follow, such as the strength of their passwords or whether they need to connect via secure VPN when working remotely. Educating workers and building a human firewall is key.
“Flexible but strong cloud-based cybersecurity enables SMBs to become more resilient, deploy new ways of working, and interact with partners and customers via digital channels. With the peace of mind that comes with a world-class security solution managed by the professionals, they are free to grow, create, and innovate,” says Sunderlall.